If you're out in the unforgiving wilderness (or just want to get home before dark), you can easily estimate how long until the sun sets using your fingers.

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All you need to do is extend your arm fully and count the number of finger widths between the sun and the horizon. Each finger is about 15 minutes, which means each hand width should be about an hour. Remember that this is just an estimate, so if you want to be conservative, make sure to give yourself a bit more time than you measure if you want to get home before dark.